


Enter Shitty Teen Romance

by leonheart2012



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: High School AU, Other, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-10-23 20:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17690297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: The school year is just beginning, and North is looking for a partner in crime, Hank just wants a class full of Connors, Gavin is desperate for someone to pay attention, Kara is excited, Ralph is nervous and suffering PTSD from an attack at his previous school, Nines is trying his best, Markus is trying to figure out what the new kids' deal is, Josh probably needs some help, Connor wants to forget about school and his older brother, Simon needs a break, Alice needs an escape (and a hug), and Elijah is intent on creating something that will change the world...





	1. Stepping In and Up

Enter Shitty Teen Romance

North dragged her feet, not wanting to go to class. First day back, and she was already dreading it. Of course, she dreaded most things about her high-school life, the lack of dating options definitely one of them. It wasn’t that she wasn’t popular; she wasn’t the top of the chain, but she certainly wasn’t a nobody, like that weird new kid Connor. Neither was it that she wasn’t attractive; at seventeen, she already had womanish features and soft, smooth skin, the disaster of teen acne having passed her by several months ago. It was just that all of the people worth dating were interested in the people who were not her gender.

Markus, by far the hottest guy on campus (in her opinion), was dating Simon – a total nerd, and (if she was being honest) quite the blushing bride. Simon was cute, sweet, and possibly everything you’d want in a husband...except for the fact that he was gay. There was Josh who, okay, probably was into girls, but was most definitely not interested in _her_ , which was what she was most focused on. There was a hottie named Chloe, but she was all over some disgusting tech-head who called himself Elijah (ew). Finally, there was Alice who, while pretty, had seemingly no interest in anyone.

North sighed, resting her head on her hand, gazing out the window. She wished that _someone_ would come and rescue her from all the straight women and gay men in her life. Some sexy, bad-boy-esque teen who would sweep her off her feet, or some sweet teen angel who she could woo and dominate within seconds. Her eyes glazed over as she wondered exactly what he or she would look like, starting with some soft, supple lips she could nibble on…

 

Hank hated this job. As he watched North gazing out the window, day-dreaming for the hundredth time since taking Physics, he reminded himself of all the reasons why he hated this god damned, stupid, bloody…

His gaze fell on Connor. Good, sweet, wonderful Connor, and all his resentment ebbed away. Connor had no friends in his grade, so he frequently spent his lunches with Hank in his office, often talking about physics, but sometimes talking about other classes, boys, or Hank’s dog. Everything bad about this school, this job, and every single one of the students, could be eclipsed by that boy’s smile, which he was giving him now, bless his heart, taking notes and just generally being the best student Hank had ever had.

Returning Connor’s smile with a tired one of his own, Hank turned back to the board and continued teaching, even if it was for only one person.

 

“Physical education,” Gavin said in a loud voice, trying to get the students to quiet down, “is important! I don’t give a damn what it says on your grade sheets at the end of the year, I need you all to give your best.” He was standing in front of the class, hands on his hips, trying desperately to look like he hadn’t forgotten it was the first day of school today. He had a splitting headache from the hangover he’d managed to score himself last night, hadn’t shaved for about a week, and so had some itchy stubble that would take more than a single, hasty shave to get off, and had barely had time to wake up himself before having to launch into introducing a new class of high school students to physical education.

Fresh from sixth grade, these little buggers were used to having a PE teacher that didn’t give a shit. Of course, Gavin didn’t really give a shit either, but he was better at hiding it. He knew it was inevitable that there would be a group of kids who would be really into it, a group of kids who really didn’t care, and a group of kids who were only there because they were forced to be. Gavin made it his goal to get the kids who were only there because they were forced to be...into the former group. Or at least, far enough that their parents wouldn’t recognise them. The ones who didn’t care were way beyond his help.

“I want you all to get involved in this, alright?” He shouted, his voice already getting hoarse from the strain. “We’re just going to pass this ball around the circle and say our names, alright?”

That finally had their attention. He passed to a pretty girl standing close to him, giving her a smile. She smiled back. “Zoe.” Gavin felt his cold, dead heart shiver a little. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

 

Kara smiled brightly at her students, and they smiled brightly back. “Welcome back, everyone!” She cheered from her seat at the front of the room. “I know you’re not really in the mood for anything too serious, especially after the summer holidays, but we’re going to be making some cookies. I left a recipe out at each place, so if you’ll all take a look at those...”

She went through the motions of eighth grade Home Economics, building on what they’d learned last year. It was her belief that the school system didn’t do enough to teach home building, so she used these classes as her opportunity to send them on their merry ways with knowledge of tax forms, vote registrations, bread recipes and basic sewing. It filled her with joy to watch these children grow as they tried and failed, and then eventually succeeded in their endeavours. It also helped that she was the school councillor. Students came to her for advice on almost everything, and she was looking forward to another year of smiles, heartbreaks, disasters, near-misses and epic comebacks.

 

The halls were overwhelmingly large, the doors too big, too many lockers lined against the too-white walls. Ralph didn’t like this place. He didn’t like it at all. In fact, he didn’t like any school. Not after…

Well, his therapist had said he shouldn’t think about that. So he turned his mind to his schedule. Maths. Room 12, Block A. Which brought him back to looking at the hallways, the doors, the lockers and walls...and he shivered, getting lost in the cycle.

 

The new student was late. Nines blinked up at the clock. Ten minutes past. He didn’t trust any of these kids for a second, but he had to do something. He had a few options; leave the newbie to his defences and start the class; go and look for him, wasting time and maybe setting things up for ultimate disaster; or go to the office and announce to the whole school that the new kid was lost. He groaned. None of those options were good options, but he’d have to choose eventually.

“Markus!” He called, and a hush fell over the class. “I need to go away for a minute, and I’m putting you in charge. Make sure no one breaks anything.”

The dark-skinned boy nodded seriously, and Nines wondered, not for the first time, just how old he was. Sometimes, the guy acted like he was twenty-five, rather than a naive seventeen-year-old. Shaking his head, he left and started walking towards the office. If the kid wasn’t there, he’d just have to go onto the PA systems and announce…

Oh...there he was. Nines took a moment to just look at the kid. There had been an attack at the school he’d been at – some other kid had come in with a knife, started stabbing students at random. The story was that Ralph, the kid standing in front of him now, had walked right into the attacker, not watching where he was going, and had been taken hostage. In the scuffle with the police that followed, the other boy had nicked the side of his face, leaving a huge scar running from his left eye, down his cheek, stopping at his chin. It didn’t look like it had been easy to fix up. They’d barely taken the stitches out.

Nines shook himself and stepped closer. Ralph look understandably terrified, so Nines softened his voice and got down to his level. “Hey, you must be Ralph, right?” He asked, then chided himself for treating him like he was a child.

“Um...yes...” The boy’s voice was deeper than he’d thought it would be, but it had a sort of whiny, almost twangy quality to it that made him seem younger than he was.

“Well, you’re with me for your first period.” Nines said, trying to sound as friendly as possible. “So, why don’t you come with me, and I’ll lead you to the classroom, huh?”

“Okay...”

“How old are you, Ralph?” Nines asked, making an attempt at small talk.

“Sixteen. But I skipped a grade. When I was ten.”

Nines nodded slowly, giving the boy a small smile. “Well, I’m sure you’ll do just as well here. Are you excited to meet your new classmates?”

“I...” Ralph suddenly looked absolutely petrified; so suddenly that Nines looked around for anyone doing something suspicious, before he realised it was what he’d said that had gotten the boy upset.

“Sorry,” he amended quickly. “I meant...we have a lot of really nice people here. I’m sure you’ll find friends easily.” He mentally face-palmed himself. Of course Ralph would be scared of his new classmates. “Don’t worry, Ralph. I’ll make sure your first day is a good one.”

“Thanks, sir.” He said in his shaky voice. Nines found himself becoming endeared with the boy. He seemed the quiet, sweet type, and that was Nines’ favourite type of student; they always paid attention in class, gave no one trouble, and did their homework on time.

“That’s alright, Ralph.” They paused outside the door. Nines just hoped that everyone was behaving themselves. “Are you ready?”

The boy nodded, and Nines opened the door...and breathed a sigh of relief. He ushered Ralph into the room. “Alright everyone, this is Ralph, your new classmate. Markus, I want you to make sure he has everything he needs and introduce him to your friends.”

Markus came over and took Ralph by the shoulder, smiling at the nervous boy and leading him to the empty seat next to him, introducing himself and helping him pull out his books.

“Alright. Ralph, I don’t know what they taught you at your previous school, but I’ll just jump into our curriculum, and if you need me to explain any concepts you don’t know yet, you can come and find me in my office, okay?”

When Ralph nodded, Nines gave him a small smile before jumping into the subject of the day.

 

Markus looked over at the new boy. He had a huge scar on his face that looked pretty recent. Markus wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know how he’d gotten it, but he was prepared to put aside his misgivings and at least get to know him. He seemed to be shy, but nice, which was a pleasant change from some of the other kids.

Ralph seemed to be perpetually nervous, something that made Markus wary. Nervous people did all kinds of crazy things.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, opened them again, and focused back on his work. There would be plenty of time for his to get to know this new boy; for now, he had some classes to pay attention to.

 

Josh didn’t have the best of anything; he opened his tattered backpack, got out his book that was already missing half of its promised sixty-four pages, shuffling his feet, which were stuffed into shoes a size too big. Everything he had was handed down from his older brother. It was just the four of them, now. His father, his brother, and his little sister. His mother had left along with the two babies, stealing the light from his father’s eyes. He hated her for that. They’d been struggling before, but now the income was reduced to one person, even getting both breakfast and dinner on one day was a maybe.

The teacher got straight into the curriculum, so unlike the teacher at his previous school. His mother and father had, together, clawed their way out of that neighbourhood. It was so shaky, though. The rent was so high…

Josh sighed and refocused. He owed it to his dad to try as hard as he could in school. Getting a higher-paying job was everything to him, and he wasn’t going to be distracted.

 

As Connor looked around the cafeteria, he knew that he would never find anyone to sit with. There were, as always, the set groups of popular girls and boys, then the tech kids, then the bookish kids, headed by Simon, who was always nice to him. The other library kids shunned him, though, so he turned away from their table.

He sighed, finding exactly what he had expected, and went to Hank’s office.

“Mr Anderson?” He called out, and the door opened.

“Hey, Connor.” The professor’s face was drawn, his beard half-groomed, as if he’d been running late, his hair hanging down around his ears. “Didn’t find anyone to sit with?”

“No. You mind if I eat with you?”

Hank’s face brightened as he smiled. “Not at all.” He opened the door wider and let Connor in. “How’s your brother doing?”

Connor winced. While Nines was good to him, he wasn’t exactly the most attentive guardian. Being twenty-three and a teacher, he had his own things to get along with, and had barely any time for his little brother. “He’s fine, I guess.”

“Don’t worry, Connor. Things’ll get better.”

“I sure hope so.”

They spent the half hour of lunch just chatting, like they always had. Connor had transferred to this new school along with his brother just six months earlier, halfway through the school year, because Nines had been seen in a relationship with another teacher. It wasn’t technically illegal, but making out in the closets during breaks wasn’t advisable.

It didn’t seem he’d learned his lesson, though, because he was doing the same thing with Gavin, the PE teacher. When Connor had told him about it, Hank had brightened.

“I knew it! I always knew Gavin was gay! He would never tell me, but I always knew.”

 

The strange boy with the scar on his cheek picked up his fork, peering curiously at the slop on his plate. “What’s your name again?” Simon asked him.

“Ralph.” He was the same age as the rest of them, but quieter, more nervous. He resembled a squirrel so much, Simon wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d stashed a large quantity of nuts in his pockets. “Ralph Alloway.” He took a small bite of the cafeteria food and made a sour face. “How can anybody eat this?”

Simon shrugged apologetically. “It’s what they give us, so you just have to get used to it. What did they give you at your old school?”

Ralph withdrew even more, if that was possible, and cowered behind his plate, hunching his shoulders as if hunkering down in wait of a storm. Confused, Simon looked to Markus, but his boyfriend just shrugged.

North came over and pushed herself in between them. “Move aside, loverboys. You’ll never guess what Tiffany – who’s that?” She hadn’t bothered looking past Markus and Simon while she was sitting down, but when she raised her head, she finally saw Ralph.

“He’s a new kid. Ralph Alloway.”

She studied him closely for a few seconds before grinning. Simon shuddered. He’d been friends with North long enough to know that a look like that meant trouble.

“He’s a little shy.”

North shrugged the comment off. “I’ll get him out of that in no time.”

North had a tendency to find people’s true selves before they themselves found it. She’d managed to amass a small cult following from this extracurricular activity, people who would follow her around practically worshipping her.

Stacey was one such person; she’d been suffering from body image issues, depression, anorexia, bulimia, and a whole host of other horrific dispositions, but just a few months with North had magically transformed her into a self-confident transgender woman.

North was looking at Ralph like she really liked what she saw, and Simon knew that before long, he would be meeting a whole new person. His eyes found Markus’, who was looking back at him with the same expression.

He mouthed two words to his boyfriend. ‘Oh no.’

 

Alice shrank back into the alcove of the library with her book. It was her favourite; _Alice in Wonderland._ Her father had, when she was younger, read it to her. He had no time for her now, though.

The drugs he took messed with his perception of everything, including time. She’d had to find her own way to school for years now. Her mother had left with her older sister when she was just four. Alice hadn’t seen her since.

Her cheek still stung from last night. Her father had come home from work, then gotten high. In a drug-fuelled rage, he’d lashed out at her, accusing her of being the reason her mother and sister were gone. Hiding her face with the book, she started to softly cry.

 

The computer screen glowed, a pale light flooding the room Elijah was sitting in. First days were always the worst, and he had no intention of exiting his cave, not even for his girlfriend, Chloe. He had no idea what she saw in him, but he wasn’t complaining. She was the most popular girl in school, with her glossy blonde hair and rose-coloured lips. Her skin was pale as snow, and of course, absolutely flawless. There were even rumours going around about her being a model.

Elijah wouldn’t have been surprised if those rumours had been true, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. He was too busy developing the software that would revolutionise the world.

No one understood what he was making. It would change the way people reacted to each other, change jobs, change everything about the society they lived in, but everyone around him was too stupid to see it. He would make them see.

He stabbed ‘enter’ with a little too much force, then watched in delight as the robotic arm twitched, slowly but surely closing into a fist. He smiled. It wouldn’t be long now. Soon, so soon, the world would see just how ingenious he was.


	2. The Plot Thickens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo boy, this is a long one. Sorry about the long wait, everyone. I hope you all enjoy it!

Ralph looked absolutely petrified as he stood in front of the house. North folded her arms. “You want to be able to get past this, right?” She urged.

The young man shook his head. “I mean...” He scrambled to correct himself. “I do...but this is...isn’t it...illegal or something?”

North sighed, shifting her weight to her other leg. “Does it matter?” She strode over to him, picked up one of the eggs, and hurled it at the house, where it shattered and left sticky, yellow residue which oozed down the bare bricks. She laughed. “It’s fun. At least try it.”

He still looked apprehensive.

“Look, no one’s home, okay? I checked. And this is the kid who gave you this.” She pointed to his scar. “Doesn’t he deserve _some_ payback?”

Ralph pursed his lips. “I guess...but it’s his parents’ house, not his. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

North threw up her hands in frustration. “Look, kid. I’m trying to help you, here. Just throw the egg. It’ll make you feel better, I promise.”

Still looking unsure, Ralph cradled an egg, preparing to throw it, pulling his arm back. After another moment of hesitation, he let it fly. The egg splattered on the lawn, getting some on the pavement as well.

North laughed again in delight. “See? How do you feel?”

“Nervous.”

She sighed again, but gripped his hand and dragged him back to her car. It was an old, beaten-up thing; something she’d gotten from her dad’s garage as a birthday present last year. He’d taught her to drive in it. Sentimentality told her to love it, but practical fashion sense told her it was repulsive. The warring sides of her conscience refused to agree, so they raged on within her every time she laid her eyes on it.

Ralph, however, had decided to fall in love with it. Never mind that he got carsick every time he went for a ride; he’d told her that this was all new to him, and that was exciting. North laughed every time he got green-faced, because he would still be smiling.

 

Ralph had been at school for a few months now, and they were coming up to the first exam blocks. He had found himself being welcomed by North and her group of friends, while Simon and the others tended to distance themselves. In fact, they seemed almost nervous around him, which worried him, but he shoved it all aside in favour of looking up to North.

It seemed, in her group of friends, she was revered by those around her. In the process of getting to know them, he’d heard the stories of how North had changed their lives like some kind of modern Jesus. He could see how hard she was trying to do the same for him; taking him out on many occasions, trying to push his boundaries and getting him to break the rules. Ralph wasn’t quite buying into it, though. He was still nervous about everything; every small noise or intrusion into his personal space resulting in a massive adrenaline kick.

His head constantly pounded with all the unnecessary stimuli, and it was slowly driving him crazy. While he did love hanging out with North and her gang, he needed some time to just...be.

So, when North asked where he wanted to go, he just replied ‘home’.

 

Nines was getting seriously concerned about the new kid. Ralph refused to talk to anyone – aside from North, and she was hardly the kind of person Nines would have wanted him hanging out with – and seemed to be falling behind in his work. He sat there, nervously fidgeting, from the start of class to the bell, getting paler and paler the longer he sat there.

Any time Nines called on him, he would nearly fall out of his chair, his eyes growing wide and fearful. He seemed to be getting worse, not better.

“Ralph, stay behind for a few minutes, would you?” He said gently as the young man walked by his desk. Stiffening, Ralph stopped dead, causing a few students to have near-misses with him, cursing softly as they stepped quickly around him. Nines sighed and stood from behind his desk. “Ralph, is there...” He trailed off, knowing that that line of questioning wouldn’t get him anywhere. So, he tried again. “How are things going, Ralph?”

The young man swallowed. “Uh, good. Fine.”

“Are you sure? The test block isn’t going to be an easy one, and I think you might be struggling a little. Am I right?” He was careful to keep his voice low, quiet, comforting. The last thing he needed was for Ralph to think he was cornering or reprimanding him.

“I...I suppose so.” He reluctantly offered, and Nines breathed an internal sigh of relief. If he acknowledged he needed help, that left some room for Nines to be of some assistance.

“Can I do anything?”

“Not really. It’s just...” He looked out the window, getting lost in the birds or the sky or some other such aspect of the outside world. “It’s been so hard to concentrate. Every noise draws my attention like it’s a threat.”

“Hmm.” Nines didn’t come back with anything right away, but he had a couple of ideas already. “It seems like maybe a quiet place for you to study is what you need right now, right?”

“I guess so.”

Nines smiled at him. “Well, there’s always the library. Have you tried studying there?”

Ralph shook his head, looking slightly confused.

“Do you know where the library is?”

Ralph flushed. “No,” he mumbled.

“That’s alright. Come back during lunch and I’ll show you the way there, alright?” He offered Ralph what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “And if you’re having trouble in your other classes, I’m sure the teachers won’t mind you asking for help. It’s why we’re here, after all.”

Ralph mumbled his thanks and slipped out of the room as quickly as he could.

 

Hank welcomed Connor into his office again. It worried him how often the young man came to him, but he was too miserable and lonely to try to get him to work through it.

After the death of his own son, he’d looked for the comfort of fatherhood in his students. He hadn’t found it until Connor. The youth was everything Cole had been; sweet, gentle, hopeful and inquisitive. Hank’s heart squeezed whenever he remembered his son, but he pushed through it.

“So, what’s the scoop today, Con?”

Connor just shrugged, looking even sadder than usual. Hank frowned.

“Is something wrong?”

He sighed and shrugged, picking up the stapler on Hank’s desk. “There’s this new kid...” he mumbled, opening the stapler up, fidgeting with the staples inside before closing it with a _snap_. “I don’t get it.”

The stapler hit the desk with a hollow _thud_. “Get what?”

Connor scowled. “How he can just walk in and get friends right away. I mean, sure, it’s with North, but...why does it have to be so hard?” He groaned and practically threw himself into the chair opposite Hank’s.

Hank rolled his shoulders. “I know you might not like me for asking this but...have you tried talking to anyone?”

“ _Yes!_ But they all just ignore me. Probably because Nines is a teacher, and they think I’ll rat them out or something.” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “As if! I wouldn’t tell him anything.”

“I’m sure he cares about you.”

His only response was a glare. Sensing that they were getting into dangerous waters, Hank backtracked. “How’s your homework coming along?”

The glare lasted a few more seconds before Connor finally sighed again and picked up his fork, taking small bites in amongst his descriptions of what had gone on in his classes.

 

Low voices roused Alice from her reverie. She blinked. It was strange for anyone to be in here during lunch, and even less people dared to disturb the perpetual silence of the library.

Curious, she peeked around the corner and saw a boy who looked like he might have been in her grade being shown around by one of the teachers. They were keeping their voices hushed and low, but noise travelled too well in the large, empty space.

“...Think you’ll be able to concentrate here?”

The boy shrugged. He had sandy blonde hair and wide, fearful eyes. Alice recognised that look; it was the same expression that lingered in her eyes when she looked at herself in the mirror. Without thinking, she crept closer.

“Well, we could always book you a booth to sit in, if you don’t want to be out in the open of the library.” Alice liked the way his voice sounded; low and gentle, like he was trying to coax a stray cat to eat some tinned food. “What do you think about that?”

The boy shrugged again.

The teacher’s eye caught Alice’s. He smiled at her, and she ducked her head. Footsteps came closer to her, and she desperately wished she could take back her curiosity.

“Hey there,” the teacher said, still in his soothing voice. Alice tried not to like his attention, but he just sounded so _nice_ , so unlike her father. She lifted her head and looked into his face. “I think I’ve seen you around. What’s your name?”

“A-Alice.”

His mouth curved in a smile. “Well, hello Alice. It’s good to meet you. Would you mind taking care of Ralph for me? I have some things I need to do. Can you get him set up with a cubby so he can do his homework?”

Alice found herself nodding.

“Thank you.” He stepped aside and motioned the boy forward. Alice almost gasped out loud; he had a scar on his left cheek, one that took up most of that side of his face. “This is Ralph.”

“Hi.” He said shyly, giving a small wave.

“Hi.”

“Well, I’ll leave you two to it. I hope you get along well.” With that, the teacher retreated from the situation, leaving Alice and Ralph looking at each other awkwardly.

Alice was the first to speak, her own voice startling her. “So, I suppose we should get you to the front desk so you can get sorted.” She led him towards the front doors of the library. “Did you have anywhere in particular in mind?”

Ralph shook his head. Alice was getting the impression that he spoke even less than she did. When they got to the front desk, he remained silent, content to let her do the talking. Thankfully, it was Mrs. Stone at the desk. She was nice. The other librarian, Mrs. Meyers, not so much.

After getting the necessary forms, Alice took them over to one of the study tables and handed Ralph a pen, sitting quietly until he’d finished filling them in.

“Just take them up to the counter, she’ll give you a card with some stuff printed on it, and I’ll show you where to go.”

Ralph nodded and followed her instructions. He came back a minute later with a green card clutched in his hands.

“What does it say?”

“E five.” He looked up with those wide eyes of his. “What does that mean?”

“Follow me.” Alice led the way up to the second floor, where there were a few rows of desks. “There are three rows downstairs, three upstairs.” She explained, weaving her way through the desks. “Yours will be in the middle row, fifth from the back of the library.” She stopped next to the desk with E5 stuck on both the chair and table.”Just don’t move the tables; Mrs Meyers gets really upset when they’re even a little out of alignment.”

Alice suppressed a shiver. Even that was an understatement. The last time someone had made that mistake, she’d yelled at them for the better part of an hour before making posters and sticking them to every surface bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. If you looked long enough, you could still see some in the darkest corners of the library.

“Anyway, I should let you get to it.” She turned to leave, but he caught her wrist. “Yes?”

“Uh, I just wanted to say...thanks. For showing me how to do this.”

Alice put on her brightest smile. “No worries.” She slunk away, hoping she would never see him again. It would be too much hassle if her father hit her again and left a mark. Friends noticed, so she couldn’t afford any. Her father had made it clear what would happen if she told anyone.

So, she crawled back into her usual hideaway, and prayed she could keep her bubble.

 

The machine whirred to life, and Chloe let out an undignified squeak. Elijah struggled not to roll his eyes. How she could stand her own company was beyond him.

She turned to one of the people she called friend and exclaimed how smart he was. Annoying though it was, it made Elijah puff up a little. He’d finally found someone who would take note of his sizeable genius. Of course, he suspected that she was interested in something else that wasn’t exactly sizeable, but would more than do the job. He didn’t have any evidence to support that suspicion, but what other explanation could there be for her fawning?

He heaved out a sigh. Thinking about such things was unproductive. He pressed another button and the machine stopped moving around. There were still problems with its movements, ones he’d have to tweak before incorporating it into the rest of his designs. It was a big project, after all, and he needed to make sure it all functioned properly.

One of the other boys at the table – some sports player Elijah refused to acknowledge – turned to him with a thick expression on his face. “So what’s it meant to do?” He reached over to pick it up, but Elijah frantically batted his hands away, forcing an annoyed grunt out of his throat. “Are you like, an inventor or something?”

Elijah scowled. “Of a sort.” He made to leave, but Chloe wrapped her arms around him, tugging him close. It pained Elijah to admit what _that_ move did to him.

“Stay here. You’re hardly ever at school.” She whined, clutching him closer. “I want to spend some time with you.”

He frowned at her, but he couldn’t really deny her. Despite everything, she wasn’t actually all that bad; Elijah was just a solitary creature, programmed to want to hide in dark places with a keyboard at his fingertips, the soft glow of the screen his only light. Sitting out in the cafeteria alone was giving him a headache. He needed the comfort of his workshop. But Chloe’s arms were still wrapped tightly around him, so he sighed again and sank back into the chair while she pressed excited kisses to his cheek.

Her voice lowered, and the other version of her emerged; the smart, quiet, more attractive side of her. “It looks good, Elijah. Just a little more work, and you’ll be well on the way to your goal.” Her fingers tangled in his hair, and Elijah could see a playful smile dancing on her lips out of the corner of his eye. He fought the urge to roll his eyes again. Ever the little actress, keeping her friends in the dark about how smart she truly was. “The competition’s coming up. Are you going to put it in, or wait to announce it yourself?”

Elijah hadn’t actually decided yet. He’d thought about putting in this project, but was it just too big, too important? It was hard to tell. Whatever he did decide, he already had a backup project for the fair. “I’m not sure.” He mumbled back, playing her games. None of her friends would ever believe she was smart anyway, so there was no point trying to blow her cover.

“Hmm.” Her fingertips ghosted over the shell of his ear, sending shivers down his spine. “Well, whatever you decide, I’ll support you.” Her lips were hot where they moved against his neck. She bit down playfully. “You’ll do great things. I just know it.” Her tongue lapped at the place where she’d bitten.

God, she was distracting. It was even harder to ignore her while she was like this. It took all of his willpower not to drag her into a corner and have his way with her. He sometimes thought that was exactly what she wanted from him, but he could never be totally sure. After all, he wasn’t a complete idiot; he knew she was using him in some way. Not that it mattered. She could use him to her hearts’ content, as long as he kept being able to write his software.

He tucked his machine back into his backpack, doing his best to ignore Chloe’s wandering paws. Soon. So soon.

 

The door to Kara’s office burst open and North strode in, pulling a young man behind her. The boy looked terrified, his eyes wide, his shoulders drawn up around his ears. Kara’s heart went out to him. North could be a lot to handle, especially when she was determined to get her way, and Kara herself was very familiar with that look on her face.

Before the boy could bolt, North reached behind him and shut the door. She leaned against it, sighed, then smiled brightly at Kara. She was instantly wary. The boy wasn’t one she’d seen before, which meant he was new. He had a scar on his left cheek – a feature she was sure drew the eye of anyone looking at him – and had sandy blonde hair. Despite her surprise and apprehension, she put on her best, warmest smile and motioned for him to sit.

“What can I do for you?” She asked kindly before shooting a glare at North.

The boy edged to the chair and collapsed into it without taking his eyes off of Kara. North took that opportunity to slip out of the room. “I, uh...Mr. Dechart suggested I come talk to you.”

Kara relaxed at the mention of a teacher. If North had just dragged him here for no reason...well, she’d still probably have to have a talk with her anyway. “Why’s that...I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Ralph.” The boy answered after a long pause, as if he was divulging a well-kept secret. Kara suspected trying to get Ralph to open up was going to be a similar experience to trying to open a jar with wet hands. Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

She smiled at him again. “Well, Ralph, why did Mr Dechart want you to come here?”

His eyes shifted around the room distrustfully, looking at the pictures of kittens and puppies, flitting over the shelves of nick-knacks and stuffed toys, scanning her desk and finally searching her, going up and down her frame, first the set of her shoulders, then the tilt of her hips, then the expression on her face. _Looking for threats._ She knew almost nothing about this boy, but the way he acted told her that something bad had happened recently.

Finally, his eyes met hers. They were a startling hazel – green with an overlay of muddy brown. “My grades have been slipping.”

She frowned sympathetically. “Is studying getting hard?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have any idea why that might be?” She picked up a pen, and his eyes shot to the movement. She’d had an idea that he might do that. She also had a theory on why studying had become so hard.

“I...” His eyes slowly came back to her face, but he was clearly on alert again. “Everything’s so loud, and I get tired really easily. It’s like everything’s just too hard.”

Kara nodded. “So, Ralph, what if we were to go for a walk. How would that make you feel?”

He swallowed. “I don’t...I don’t think I’d like to do that.”

She nodded again. Fully expected. “Ralph, what if I asked your permission to talk to your parents?”

The fear that flashed in his eyes was fully unexpected. “No!” After his initial outburst, he lowered his voice. “No, I...I can...I’ll do better.”

Her eyebrows knit together briefly, but she forced the expression off her face, in case it scared Ralph. “Okay. That’s alright, Ralph. We can work through this however you want, okay?”

Ralph nodded, slowly relaxing again. She could see in his eyes that he still didn’t quite trust her, but she could work with him if he was willing to try. His hands twisted in his lap. “Caused them enough trouble...” He muttered under his breath. “Done too much already, can’t ask more...no, no, that wouldn’t be polite, and that’s never good. Not good at all. Must be respectful, Ralph. Must be...must be...” His eyes were far away, seeing something no one else could.

Kara felt her heart squeeze in sympathy. It couldn’t be easy, whatever he was going through, if it made him look like that. When he came back into her office, the mumbling falling away to tight-lipped silence, she smiled at him and offered him one of her soft toys.

He blinked at it for a few seconds before accepting it, holding it close to his chest. The blue rabbit looked out of place in his grasp, but he clung to it like it was a lifeline.

She opened a note pad and picked up a pen. “So, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, Ralph?”

 

Gavin honestly couldn’t think of a place he’d rather be. It had been quite some time between his last partner and the one currently under his hands. It would have looked strange if he went home with a mathematics teacher, so they were hiding away in the supply closet in the north hallway. It was by far the most roomy, which meant that they could both fit easily and still have space to maybe take each other’s shirts off.

He hadn’t wasted any time today, fingers ravenously clawing at Nines’ buttons and shoving the cotton off of his shoulders. The younger man stepped back from him, chuckling deeply.

“A bit eager today, aren’t we?”

“Shut up.” Gavin growled back. “It’s been a pretty shitty day.” His lips connected with Nines’ heated flesh, teeth scraping bluntly against his porcelain white skin. “Just want you to fuck me.”

Nines hesitated, his gaze shifting to somewhere outside the room. “My brother...” His eyes came back to rest on Gavin, who had already stripped out of his shirt and was halfway out of his trousers. Nines shook his head. “Never mind. He can wait.”

The mathematics teacher strode forward and captured Gavin’s lips in a searingly hot kiss, tongue pushing into his mouth, as he lifted him off his feet and shoved him against the wall.

When they broke away from each other again, Gavin let out a contented sigh. “ _Yes,_ ” he gasped, spreading his legs even wider. “Destroy me, now.”

 

The ball sailed across the field and into the goal. Markus’ team cheered, and Simon rose with them, clapping and yelling before plopping back into the seat. North just rolled her eyes. Josh was too busy with the book in his hands to worry about the game.

“So how’s the progress with Ralph?” Simon asked, almost afraid of the answer.

North shrugged, drawing remotely obscene things on the inside of her wrist with a black pen. “Eh, not as well as I’d hoped. I mean, I can sense he wants change, but he’s not brave enough to _take it_.” She groaned. “It’s almost become a chore.”

Despite his friend’s obvious distress, Simon couldn’t help the wave of relief that crashed through him. Having yet another rebellious teenager running rampant perhaps wasn’t the best idea. “Well, maybe he just needs time to adjust. He’s only been here a couple of months, after all. Besides, you should be focusing on your studies. Your exams and essays aren’t going to write themselves.”

North groaned again, her attention shifting to the back-and-forth of the ball as it whizzed up and down the field. “That’s so boring. What happened to all the fun stuff we used to do? Like sledding and breaking windows and exploring abandoned buildings?”

“We grew up, North. I’m sorry, but it happens.”

Her eyes went back to the artwork on her arm. She sighed heavily and pulled out her books. “Fine. Have it your way.”

Simon would never show her, but the fact that he’d managed to get her to cave shone brightly as a victory in his chest. He was, after all, the captain of the library club. It would be unseemly if his friends were failing their classes. His gaze shifted to his twin brother, Daniel, and the pride dampened.

His brother, born just minutes before Simon himself, was the image of a problem child. He was constantly getting in trouble for pulling off crazy stunts and even crazier pranks. Even so, his grades were just as high, if not higher, than Simon’s, and it infuriated him. Not to mention the fact that almost no one could tell them apart, so Simon was constantly being dragged into trouble in place of his brother.

Daniel looked up at him and smiled sweetly. Simon was not fooled. His presence here could mean nothing good. Simon wondered if he would try to make a move on Markus again.

His already dark mood deepened, until North nudged him.

“Hey, you okay there, loverboy? Things just got chilly.” She shivered for effect.

Simon rolled his eyes and pointed at Daniel. A lecherous grin spread across her face, and Simon felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. Yes, he disliked his brother immensely, but did he dislike him enough to inflict the pain of North on him? Catching the line of his brother’s gaze he decided that yes, yes he did.

He turned to North and, at her questioning look, gave a small nod. Her eyes took on a ravenous glint as she stalked past Simon and down the stairs.

Simon’s eyes followed her and, despite not really wanting to, he heard and watched the conversation that followed.

North leaned against the back of the seat directly in front of Daniel. “Hey, handsome,” she said seductively, absolutely aware that she was blocking his view of what he really wanted to see. The smile on her lips was suggestive enough that it made even Simon’s cheeks heat. He would be lying if he said she was unattractive, but the thought of what was _underneath_ her clothes...he shivered.

Daniel suppressed a similar shiver. “Nines, go away.” He said through gritted teeth.

She shook her head, making sure it was violent enough that it moved her glossy hair. Simon could imagine the scent that would be lifted from it as the strands separated. She truly was a beautiful young woman. If you were into that kind of thing. Come to think of it, Simon wouldn’t mind kissing her...

He shook himself out of those thoughts. What was he thinking? North was working her magic and, just like always, it was a little too effective for Simon’s liking. Nevertheless, it was working on Daniel, just as well as it was working on Simon.

His brother blinked dazedly.

“Don’t be like that, Dan.” Daniel hated being called Dan. “I just wanted to talk.” Her lower lip jutted out slightly. It was perfectly round, plump, ripe for nibbling – _no_.

With great effort, Daniel managed to rip his gaze back to look her in the eyes. “We don’t have anything to talk about.” His voice was shaky.

“Are you so sure?” She shifted her weight, letting the swell of one hip show above the line of the top of the chair. God, it was perfect, just the right size for hands to squeeze…

 _God damn it! Why does it affect me like this? I’m_ gay!

Daniel was less successful pulling his eyes away from North’s ass. “I...”

North leaned in closer. Her hair fell over her shoulder, her shirt opening slightly, showing just a slice of skin. It was enough to send straight men and lesbians into a frenzy. Straight women and gay men could barely keep their eyes off the display; even Simon, who knew the routine all too well, wasn’t entirely immune to it.

“What is it, sweetheart? Did you have something you wanted to ask me, perhaps?” She tilted her head, her lips parting in a gentle, disarming smile. Simon felt dizzy. He knew he should look away, but…

“Can’t you just...sit down or something?” Daniel asked, exasperated. Little did he know, that was precisely the invitation North was waiting for. She hopped nimbly over the back of the chair and settled in next to Daniel.

Simon felt his chest release slightly. He wouldn’t have to look at her seductive techniques any longer. Unfortunately for him, North had been working on her vocal seductiveness, too.

Her voice was like warm honey, encasing Simon and the few people within earshot in a trance. “Tell me, Daniel, are you doing anything this weekend?”

The suggestiveness of the question was unmissable, and Simon’s heart stuttered. How could anyone deny her? Simon saw another boy stepping forward, undoubtedly eager to tell her that _he_ was free on the weekend, but Simon stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. The spell was broken, and he looked guiltily up at his girlfriend who was playing soccer on one of the fields.

“Uh...n-nothing...”

Simon could only guess that her smile was radiant. “Good. I’ll see you on Saturday, then? Meet at the town library at ten o’clock?”

Daniel swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. “I actually have...you know, I should go...” He beat a hasty retreat, and North returned, a triumphant smile on her face. Even so, Simon knew she was secretly disappointed. She had been on the prowl for a date since the start of the year.

A shiver of fear coursed through Simon. “You’re scary.”

She only grinned at him.

 

Hank had gone home. Everyone had gone home, but here Connor was, sitting in the cafeteria, staring at the blank white walls, white tables and benches, white ceiling, white tiled floor. His head drooped. He was getting sleepy.

 _Just a few minutes,_ he thought, resting his head on the table.

His breathing evened out and became a steady rhythm.

In and out.

In and out.

In and-

“Connor!” Nines’ hands were shaking him awake. “Sorry to keep you waiting, bro. A lot of-”

“Fuck off, Nines. You were fucking Gavin again.” He growled, grabbing his backpack, suppressing a shiver. The evening had grown cold, and without a jacket, Connor knew the outside air would bite all too happily into his unprotected flesh.

Nines sighed, but didn’t deny it. He followed Connor out into the parking lot. Sure enough, the light breeze felt like shards of ice pressed against his skin. Connor grit his teeth.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a long walk to the car, and Nines was quick to unlock it. Connor got into the drivers’ seat, holding his hand out for the keys. Nines dropped them reluctantly into his palm.

The drive home was icily silent.

Their father had left when Connor had been three years old. He had no memory of him. His mother, on the other hand, had been their sole provider for years. When Connor had turned sixteen, though, she had started getting worse. The hysteria that had driven their father away became more and more prevalent, ruling her life. It turned to mania, which was just the doctors’ way of saying ‘from bad to worse’. They tried prescribing medication, but none of it worked.

Eventually, just ten months earlier, she had left the house, morose. Neither of them had noticed until they heard the squeal of tyres.

There had been no chance of survival.

Connor had been almost relieved.

And now, he had to deal with a brother who just couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. It had gotten them kicked out of the previous place, and it would get them kicked out of this place, and why had he told Hank about it…?

“Connor,” Nines said, more gently than before, “we’re here.”

Blinking, Connor realised he’d driven with only half his mind on the task, taking the necessary turns from memory, avoiding other cars instinctually, and had been staring at the closed garage door. Sighing, he turned the car off and got out. With tired limbs, he grabbed his backpack from the back seat of the car and unlocked the front door, flicking the lights on.

One good thing about coming home so late was that he was too tired to be hungry. Without bothering to turn the hall light on, he made his way to his bedroom, where he stripped himself out of his shirt. Too tired for anything else, he threw himself onto his mattress and closed his eyes.

Some time later, a warm hand on his back woke him. Nines was sitting next to him on his bed, dipping the mattress. His hair was wet, and he smelled of soap. There were two pieces of toast on a plate in his hand. The light was off.

With a deep sigh, Connor turned over and sat up, accepting the toast, made the way he liked it.

“Connor, I know we don’t talk much any more but...I still care about you. You’re my brother.”

Connor didn’t respond, chewing his toast slowly, barely even tasting it.

Nines swallowed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been...a pretty shitty guardian.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Can I make it up to you?”

“Maybe stop fucking the gym teacher?” He did nothing to disguise the venom in his voice.

His brother’s shoulders slumped. “I know it might seem like...like it’s not worth it, but I...” To Connor’s surprise, tears formed in his eyes. “Losing mom was hard, Con. It left...left a hole. I know you weren’t really close to her, but...but I _was_. I took care of her, Con. She was...she was so much like you, when you were younger. And I had to take care of both of you. I need...I need someone. Someone to be with me. Someone to...to take care of me. Like I did for you and her.”

Connor sat up straighter and looked Nines in the eye. “Then find someone other than the gym teacher, Nines. I’m serious. It’ll end like the last time. Why don’t you go with the last guy?”

Nines shook his head. “He won’t talk to me.” He looked up into Connor’s eyes. “I really like Gavin, Con. He’s...he’s...he’s not like the other guys.” He sighed, exasperated. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

Pressing his lips together, Connor pushed his head forward to rest on Nines’ shoulder. “Alright. Fine. I don’t get it, but fine. Just make sure no one finds out this time.”

 

Something wasn’t right. Josh could feel it in the air as he approached his house. The night air was cool, but the closer he got, the colder it seemed to become, until it was like needles of ice were burying themselves under his skin.

The lights were off, which wasn’t uncommon for this time of night. His father would be home from work by now, and Abby would be in bed. Tyson didn’t come back from work for another few hours, but he would let himself in.

Even so, the darkness seemed out of place. Something was wrong.

He opened the door with his set of keys, careful not to make too much noise. It was probably just his nerves playing tricks on him, and his father would not be happy if he was woken, even if he would be gentle about it. This wouldn’t have been the first time Josh had arrived home on-edge after his mother had left, after all. For the first few months, it had been almost impossible for him to step over the threshold without feeling a lump of fear and sadness in his throat.

 _But it’s been months since I’ve felt that,_ Josh told himself sternly, trying to set aside his panic. _She won’t be back, she won’t have taken everything, she won’t have left me with nothing and no one._ Even as he assured himself, he felt the familiar lump rising in his throat.

His eyes darted to the table; empty. Of course, he knew it would be, but it did nothing to help ease him. Tears burned the edge of his vision. He was so close. So close to graduating, so close to getting a job – a good job.

His throat tightened and his legs gave way, his vision too blurred to see anything. Light burst in as the switch was flicked.

“Josh?”

Oh, oh, that was Abby’s voice! Josh sniffed and wiped his eyes, but the tears came back immediately. His throat burned as he tried to stop crying. It only made him sob harder.

Her arms were suddenly around him, cradling him, comforting him. His chest heaved as he tried to draw enough breath.

“It’s okay,” her voice soothed. “I’m here. We’re all here.”

Heavier footsteps came into the kitchen, and his father was there with them, his strong, steady arms wrapped around them both. Josh was relieved that he wasn’t upset. His own arms hung limp by his side. He was too exhausted to make them hold his family.

At some point, his older brother came through the front door, saw them huddled on the floor, and joined in. Tyson’s arms finally broke the spell. Josh calmed after they were all together.

“Are you okay?” His father asked gently, not moving from his place on the floor.

Josh nodded, still sniffling. “Yeah. Just stressed out, I guess.”

“Take tomorrow off. I know you’ve been working hard, Josh. One sick day won’t break you.” His father smiled at him, and it filled Josh with warmth. “I’m so proud of you, Joshua.”

The underlying statement rang out in the room, loud and clear. _I love you_.

Josh drooped his head. “I should go. We’re doing an experiment in Chemistry...”

“Whatever you think is best.” He sighed softly and got to his feet. His children followed him. He glanced at the clock. “I hate to leave you when you’re like this, but I’ve got work tomorrow.” He pulled Josh in for another hug then, after a moments’ hesitation, Tyson, then Abby. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, dad.” They chorused.

Abby didn’t stay much longer, but Tyson hovered by his side as he made himself some dinner and sat on the couch to eat it. After a while, Tyson spoke.

“What happened, Josh?”

Josh shrugged, hoping the conversation wouldn’t last long enough…

His hopes were dashed not even two seconds later. “Josh...” Tyson said in his low, brotherly growl, his hand descending onto Josh’s shoulder. “Come on, what happened?”

“I..” He looked away, shame cutting his voice away. It felt so childish. Of course his mother wouldn’t have come to steal away his father, sister and brother. Of course they would still be there, waiting under the roof of the home they’d worked hard to…

Hot tears slipped down his cheeks again. In a way, that was even more humiliating. He cried too easily.

_You’re so soft, Josh. You should get a thicker skin. Those kids were just playing around. Stop crying, it’s just a little scrape! Don’t cry over spilled milk. Just get a cloth and wipe it up. Why are you always crying, Josh? Oh, grow up. It’s not even that scary. It’s a needle, Joshua, not the end of the world. You’re embarrassing me! Stop crying! There’s nothing to cry about, honestly!_

“Josh-”

“Don’t!” Josh threw away the plate, launching himself off the couch and running to his room. He realised, too late, that he’d taken the turn one door too soon.

Tyson opened his door gently, slowly, and knelt in front of him. “Josh, there’s nothing wrong with crying. It’s okay. She hasn’t been gone all that long. It’s understandable if you miss-”

“No. No, I don’t. I don’t miss her. Not one bit, Tyson!”

“Okay.” His brother said in his coaxing, relaxing, nonthreatening tones. “It’s okay. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s okay.”

“She’s not coming back, is she?” Josh couldn’t hide the fear in his voice. “She won’t...she’s not coming back?”

“No.”

Josh nodded, accepting the answer. His shoulders relaxed, his tears dried, and his eyelids drooped.

“She’ll never come back. She cares too much about the new guy.” The anger in his brother’s tone startled Josh. It baffled him. While he wished to never see her face again, there Tyson was, wishing for her back. It almost frightened him. He snorted – a harsh, ugly sound. “Well, good riddance, right? Good fucking riddance.”

Josh got up and made his way to his own room, the final words of his brother echoing in his head. _Good fucking riddance._

 

Markus’ eyes strayed back to Josh’s face. He looked haggard. It seemed to be a common theme recently. North looked utterly dejected, muttering something under her breath about Ralph and Simon’s brother. Simon had been distracted after practice yesterday, and seemed even more so today. Finally, Josh looked so exhausted, Markus was actually worried he might fall asleep in his lunch.

He looked around at the table of his friends and sighed. The noise made them all lift their heads.

“Alright, what’s gotten into you all?”

North, as always, got the first word in. “Ralph is no fun anymore. Nothing I do is making it easier for him, and he seems to be regressing back into himself.” Markus expected a witty remark from his boyfriend at her use of the word ‘regressing’, but he remained stoic, eyes haunted. “I didn’t even think it was possible.” She sighed, plopping her head into the curve of her hand. “I’m pretty sure his mom is abusing the shit out of him, his father’s way too meek to do anything about it, and he’s struggling with work that should be easy. Not that I give a damn about his work,” she added quickly at Markus’ raised eyebrow, “but it’s worrisome. I’m supposed to be making it better, not...not...not flailing around like some fish out of water!

“I mean, just look at me!” It was honestly hard to look at anything else. “I am attractive, smart and popular. I should have all the necessary tools to make him snap out of it, but my charms are completely ineffective! What am I supposed to do? I can’t let my reputation get ruined like this!

And then, yesterday, I went to do my usual flirty routine on Simon’s brother because he was ogling you again-”

“Again?”

“-and he resisted it! I mean, he was unable to tear his eyes away, but he didn’t even ask me on a date! It was an absolute disaster, Markus! How am I supposed to keep up my reputation like this?” She moaned, finally ending her rant, burying her face in her hands. It honestly looked like she was about to cry.

Markus blinked at her, unable to determine how to respond. Instead, he turned to Simon, who sighed and shrunk in on himself.

“Daniel was an absolute monster when we got home yesterday. He doused me in water three times, put salt in my tea and fed my dinner to the dogs while mom wasn’t watching. I’m more hungry than I have been in ages – especially since I’m still on that diet-”

“You don’t need to be on a diet.” Markus protested weakly, but Simon ignored him.

“-and I was so busy cleaning up his messes that I didn’t get time to finish my homework.” He sighed again, the sound so quiet Markus almost missed it. “I swear he’s going to be the reason I fail high school.”

Markus tried to comfort Simon, but he was equally worried about Josh. His attention kept shifting to the tall African American boy as he whispered soothing words into his boyfriend's ear, rubbed his back and kissed his temple. Josh just stared at them, but not at them. Rather, past them, peering into some dimension only he could see. He blinked lazily.

Worry tightened Markus' chest. Josh had only ever looked like this once before; just after his mother had left with his youngest sister and brother. Markus had no doubt it was about the same event, he just hoped that it wasn’t because she’d come back. If she’d come back...Markus couldn’t even begin to imagine the trauma that would awaken in his friend. He’d been trying to get him to go and see Ms Curry for months. Maybe he’d finally listen?

After what felt like an eternity, he pulled away from Simon, trusting that he was okay for now, and turned to Josh.

“Come with me.” He said in a low, gentle voice. He knew it was probably humiliating, but his friend looked like he would break in he was handled in any way other than with the upmost care.

Josh moved like a zombie; sliding out of his seat and following him down the hall. Markus led him to Ms Curry’s office and knocked politely on the door.

Her head poked out, and she smiled at him. “Markus! What can I do for you?”

After explaining the situation, a shadow passed over her face. “Thank you, Markus. I’ll talk to him, see if we can do anything.”

“Thank you.”

He waited by the door as she called him into the room, stayed until the low murmur of voices came from the other side of the door, then lingered as Josh’s soft sobs soaked the air around the office, standing guard until it stopped again, loitered after the bell rang for them to return to class, remained like residue, withering away, as the session passed from one hour to two, held steady until finally, finally, the door opened.

Josh looked better. Red-eyed, tear-stained, sad and utterly upset, but better. Anything would have been better than the apathetic silence of that morning. Markus breathed a sigh of relief.

“You okay?”

He nodded, smiled, and made his way to class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll probably be an equally long wait until the next chapter (sorry), but I promise I'll make it worth the wait!  
> Thank you all for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it :)


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